Dial-harmonizing device for circular-knitting machines



Dec. 11, 1928.

P. SCHARHAG DIAL HARMONIZING DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 24, 192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR PETER SCHARHAG by 7:13 aiiarneyr Dec. 11, 1928.

P. SCHARHAG DIAL HARMONIZING DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 24, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. PETER SCHARHAG by 11;: after-neg;

Dec. 11, 192s.

P. SCHARHAG DIAL HARMONIZING DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a w m L W II III \W W 0 I a i W M I Z i Mllm /0 .m MM \l I I OJ =2 :,.=m I IHIII I 20 em .2525 I .Il I! I. l

PIETER SCHARHAG Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

UNITED srA'rss PATENTS, OFFICE.

PETER SCHARHAG, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS,

INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

DIAL-HARMONZIZING nnvrcn non CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed February 24, 1927. Serial No. 170,503.

This invention relatestoeircular knitting machines having a dial and more particularly to means for harmonizing the vertical move ments of the needlecylinder and dial. One object of. the invention is to provide accurate vertical movement of the cylinder and dial together and yet at the same time obtain ingiving movements of uniformly different lengths to the dial and cylinder respectively. In the'well-known Scott & Nilliams type of circular hosiery knitting machines, of,

which an example is illustrated in the patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,152,850 dated September 7, 1915, a change in stitch length is brought about by a vertical adjustment of the needle cylinder effected primarily from the main pattern drum. This adjustment of the needle cylinder was accomplished through the medium of a lever acting upon the cylinder raising tubethrough which the knitted fabric passes down from the knitting, the needle cylinder being operated vertically by this cylinder raising tube. In order to keep the correct stitch length on a circular rib knitting machine having a dial, it is necessary that the relative positions of the dial and needle cylinder be accurately maintalned. It is also necessary to provide sufiicient space for manipulations of the yarns and fabric when forming a heel or toe pocket by lifting the dial away from the needle cylinder temporarily. All the vertical adjustments of the dial have heretofore been obtained directly from shafts rotating with the main pattern drum, but this arrangement is not sufficiently accurate and the present invention is an improvement thereon. The invention includes unitary means causing uniform vertical movement of the cylinder and dial at certain times and causing independent vertical move ment of the dial at other times.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention applied to the wellknown Scott 8:. Williams type of hosiery knitting machine,but it should be understood that the invention can be applied to other types of circular knitting machines.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of 21 Scott &'lNilliams seamless hosiery rib knitting machine showing one embodiment of the new dial harmonizing device;

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation'of the harmonizing means taken on the line 22 of Fig; 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of portions of the machineshowing a preferred embodiment of the invention; v

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the dial and its associated parts taken on the line 4L l of Fig. 3; v 7

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the operating lever and dial raising bracket taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.; while Fig. 6 is a detail elevationof the dial raising bracket viewedfrom the left of the ma chine on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

In these views the bedplate'B carries the rotating needle cylinder 260. There is the usual cylinder raisingtube 280 guided at its upper end in a pendant flange 259 on the under side of the bedplate B,- and vertically adjustable therein in order to impart vertical movement to the needle cylinder as described in the above-mentioned patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,152,850. There is the usual main pattern drum 120 on the shaft 76.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention found in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will'be noted that the dial D is mounted on a spindle d, which spindle is splined at to slide through and rotate with the gear 9. The dial is supported by a bracket '15 bolted on a latch ring 550 which in turn is pivoted to the bracket 401 (Fig. 5). 1 The dial is adapted to be moved vertically with respect to the latch ring 550 and the dial bracket 15 by mechanism w'hichwill nowbe described. On the upper end of the dial spindle (Z is a non-rotating yoke The dial gears are covered by a casing 16fastened to the bracket 15. In this gear casing 16 is a fore-and-aft slot 130 in which lies a lever 128, with a pivot point near the front of'the machine at 129. The free end of the lever 128 extends rearwardlybeyond the casing 'rearwardly extending free 'end' of the lever 128 will cause the dial to be raised and lowcred without affecting the engagement between the gears 51 and g.

The rear end of this lever 128 overlies a plate 127 on the upper end of athrust rod 460 which passes downwardly to the main pattern drum 120 on which are located the cams 501 to raise and lower the dial when rib knitting is stopped andbegun F or the purpose of raising and lowering" the dial in unison with the needle cylinder when knitting rib fabric in which changes of stitch length are desired, unitary lever means are provided having a fulcrum on a stationary part of the machine but controlled from a bracket on the cylinder raising tube. In the example shown in Figs. 1and2,:there is an operatinglever 191 linked at one end to the thrust rod 4:60 and pivoted at the other end to a bearing 192 on the bedplate; When the thrust rod is in its lowermost position, this link lies in a. slot in the upturned end of a bracketlll rigidly mounted on the eylinder raisingtube 280, the extent to which the link descends into the slot being determined by an adjusting screw 19st; l/Vhen the thrust rod rides off the cams 501 on the 1Zltl1Iptl S- tern drum 120, th'e'linkrests upon its adjusting screw and consequently the dial; will be raised and lowered in unison with the cylinder raising tube; The space between the middle cylinder and the dial be adjusted by means of this screw 19a and by changingthe distances between the fulcrum and this ad justing screw the space between the cylinder ing to the height and. dial can be-varled accord of the cylinder, i.- e, the len th of stitch.

In Figs. 3, l and 5 a preferred enibod ment of the invention is shown in which. lever 191 is replaced by an operating lever 272 pivoted to th-e lnain frame of the u'iachine at 2T3. This lever extends both rcarwardly and forwardly from its pivot point,-the r arward extension being connected to special thrust rod 125 whose upper endcarriesa slotted adjusting plate 127. In the slot of this adjusting plate plays the tapered end of the dial raising'lever 128 which latter is pivoted at 129to the dial gear casing 16 as before. This rcarwardly extending portion of the operatii'ig lever 272 has a foot 272 acting as astop against the frame of the machine to prevent the thrust rod 125fro1n' dropping too far. The forward eiztensionef the lever 272 is availed of when it is desired to move the dial independently of tie needle cylinder by so locating this forward extension that it is acted uponby a disc cam 288 on the pattern chain shaft rotating in unison with the main pattern druln by means of the 122, 123, 121"' For raising and lowering; the dial in unison with theneedle'cylinder there dial raising bracket 274: fastened to the cylinder raising tube 280, which; extends to. a point just to the rear of the pivot point of the op or it is crating lever 272. There is a vertical holding piece 275 pivoted on the end of the dial raising bracket at 279, containing an adjustinent screw 2? 6. This adjustment screw is adapted to engage the under side of a horizontal plate 277 on the operating lever, the point of engagement of the adjustment screw being between the pivot poi t of operatleveir and the connection between the lever and the thrust rod 125. It will be obvious that when the, cylinder raising tube 180 risesthe dial will also rise and that by varying the adjustment screw 276 the distance between the dial and cylinder can be vi 'ied. In case it is desirable to vary tlie'distanee be veen the dial and the needle cylinder automatically in proportion to the elevation of the needle cylinder, the point of con tact bet-ween the adjustment screw 276 and the plate 277 can be varied by rocking the holding piece 275 about its pivot center 2T9. This rocking can be accomplished by means ofsaid screws engagingthe holding piece 275 from the sides (Fig: 6). a

It will be obvious from the description which has already been given that; whenever the knitting instruments in the dial are idle desired to lift the dial out of the way of the needle cylinder and the fabric which is being formed thereon, the'caI-ns 501 on the main pattern drum-or the disc care revolving in unison with the main pattern druni as the case may bewill cause the dial to be lifted out of the way, and that when it is desired to have the dial and needle cylinder move simultaneously in accurately maintained relation, the operating lever pivoted to a stationary part of the machine acting under the influence ofthe cylinder raising tube will accoinp sh the desired nicveinent.

VJ hat claim is: I

1. A circular knitting machine having; a needle cylinder and a dial, in combination with unitary means adapted to raise said cylinder and to raise said dial through move ment of said cylinder and in unison therewith. a

2. A circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a dial, in combination with unitary means adapted to raise said cylindei." an d to raise said dial through movement of said cylinder and in unison therewith and means to cause independent raising of the dial.

3. A circular knitting inachine having a pattern drurn, a needle cylinder, means adapted toraise and lower said needle cylinder, and a dial, in conbination with unitary means adapted to raise and lower said dial under the control of the pattern drum orof t 1e needle cylinder-raising means.

4:. A circular knitting machine having rototing pattern means, a needle cylinder, means adapted to raise and lower said needle cylinder, a dial and a thrust rod actuated" by said rotating pattern means to raise and lower said dial, in combination with means including a lever connected to said thrust rod and to a stationary portion of the machine adapted to raise said thrust rod when the needle cylinder is raised.

5. A circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a cylinder raising tube, a dial and a thrust rod adapted to raise said dial, in combination with cam means adapted to raise said thrust rod and means actuated by the cylinder raising tube also to actuate said thrust rod. v

6. A circular knitting machine having a pattern drum, a needle cylinder, a dial and a thrust rod to raise said dial actuated by said pattern drum, in combination with cam means operated in-unison with the pattern drum, means moving in unison with the needle cylinder to raise the latter, a pivoted lever adapted to be actuated by said cam means and by said means moving in unison with the needle cylinder to actuate said thrust rod.

7Q A circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a dial and a thrust rod adapted to raise and lower said dial, in combination with cam means adapted to raise and lower said thrust rod and independent means Operated in unison with the needle cylinder adapted to raise and lower said thrust rod when said cam means have not raised the latter.

8. A circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a cylinder raising tube, a dial and a thrust rod to raise and lower said dial, in combination, with cam means operated in unison with the pattern drum, and

an operating lever for said thrust rod adapt ed to be actuated by said cylinder raising tube or by said means moving in unison with the pattern drum. I

9. A circular knitting machine having rotating pattern means, a needle cylinder, a cylinder raising tube, a dial and a thrust rod actuated by said rotating pattern means to raise and lower said dial in combination with an operating lever pivoted on a stationary portion of the machine adapted to raise and lower said thrust rod, cam means operated in unison with said pattern drum adapted to actuate said operating lever and bracket means on said cylinder raising tube adapted to move said operating lever an adjustable amount with relation to the move-vment of said cylinder raising tube.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PETER SCHARHAG. 

